Collapsible suit and trouser hanger



April 11, 1950 M.-W. BOYD 2,503,321

COLLAPSIBLE SUIT AND TROUSER HANGER Filed Aug. 6, 1948 INVEATOR. MATHIAS W. BOYD Arron/woo" Patented Apr. 11 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE SUIT AND TROUSER HANGER Mathias W. Boyd, Oakland, Calif.

Application August 6, 1948, Serial No. 42,893

5 Claims.

This invention relates to suit and trouser hangers and particularly to a type of collapsible or knockdown hanger for suits and trousers, which may be conveniently taken apart and reassembled at will.

7 The main object of my invention is to provide a collapsible combined suit and trouser hanger which serves to support a coat and two or more pairs of trousers or suit skirts, and yet may be taken apart to occupy a minimum of space in a traveling bag or luggage.

Another object is to provide a hanger of the indicated character which has a pair of interconnected center or nucleus blocks which form a nucleus for the hanger structure, to one of which blocks the main hanger members are detachably secured during use.

A further object is to have such a hanger in which two interconnected nucleus blocks are spaced apart, one above the other, with the lower block provided with a pair of rods extending in opposite directions therefrom and projecting detachably into the main hanger members.

It is also an object to provide a hanger of this type with trouser or skirt engagin members or triggers slidably mounted on the oppositely extending pair of rods with springs on the latter biasing these members apart to bring them into engagement with any size of trouser or skirt to be supported thereby.

It is even an object of the invention to have a hanger of the mentioned type in which it is readily possible to increase the capacity for hanging trousers or skirts thereon.

A practical object is, of course, to make a combined collapsible suit and trouser hanger of readily available materials, and durable form and at reasonable cost. I

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear in further detail as the specification proceeds.

In order to facilitate ready comprehension of this invention for a proper appreciation of the salient features thereof, the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a combined collapsible suit and trouser hanger made according to the invention and embodying the same in a practical form.

Figure 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is another section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of an attachment adapted to be mounted upon the hanger of Figure l, and made according to certain of the principles of the invention.

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Throughout the views, the same referencenumerals indicate the same or like parts.

When traveling in business and also for pleas-v ure, it is frequently desirable to have presentable clothes to use at various engagements and appointments, etc., and at the hotels and the like, at which thetraveler arrives, it is immediately de sirable upon arrival to be in a position to hang up the garments brought along in order to have them available in fine condition at any time. In all too many cases, good hangers are not available, especially for trousers and suit skirts, and proper hangers therefor of conventional types are so wasteful of space that it is out of the question to bring them with the clothes-in the traveling bags or suitcases used.

After carefully considering this problem, it has occurred to me that a hanger should be made collapsible and also combined with special trouser hanger means so that several ends are served by the hanger to make it convenient and useful to the greatest possible degree. Upon following out this problem, I have succeeded in producing a hangerof the mentioned type which plausibly serves the foregoing objects and avoids the mentioned disadvantages, as will now be set forth in detail.

Hence, in the practice of my invention and re-- ferring again to the drawing, a hanger generally indicated at 6, primarily includes a center block I having a vertically extending hook shank 8 terminating above the block in a suspension hook 9, and at the lower end having a threaded portion Ill screwed into a connector II, whose purpose will be explained further on. Projecting from the opposite sides [2, I2 of blocks I are a pair of short studs I3, I3 projecting detachablyinto corresponding recess portions I4, l4 in the inner ends I5, I5 of a pair of main hanger mem-' bers I6, I6 while spaced above the studs l3, I3 are a pair of outwardly extending yokes H, H which normally envelop the upwardly project ing neck portions I 8, I8 of the hanger member I6, I5 while the yoke members at the outer ends thereof are seated in slots I9, I9 in the upper:

portions of said hanger members.

To the lower end of. the connector II, previously mentioned, is connected as by screwing the upper threaded end 20, a suspension rod 2| ex tending upwardly through .a block 22, the rod 2| having a head 23 below the block and a washer 24 which prevents the block from dropping ofi this rod, while the block itself has the lower front and rear portions 25, 25 cut arcuately inward to present the lower end 26 narrow and almost wedge-shaped for a purpose that will presently appear. Into the opposite ends 21, 21 of block 22 are screwed a pair of aligned rods 28, 28 having a pair of compression springs 29, 29 mounted thereon, the rods extending at their outer ends detachably into a pair of metal cups 30, 3B fitted into the inner sides 3 I, 3| of the outer lower ends of hanger members I6, I6, the mentioned cups 3|], 30 being held in place by screws 32,32 inserted from the outer sides of the hanger members.

Slidably mounted upon the rods28, 28 beyond the outer ends of the springs 29, 29 are a pair of trouser or skirt engaging members or triggers 33, 33, each including a pair of pendent trouserengaging lugs 34, 34 spaced apart upon each member 33. The arrangement .is such that a pair of trousers or a suit skirt may'be engaged upon the interior thereof by means of one member 34 upon one trigger member or block 33'and a corresponding engaging member 34 upon the other block, with the springs biasing the trigger blocks 33, 33 apart in such fashion as to hold the trousers or skirt in place upon the pendent members 34, 34 across the front or rear of block 22, which however clears the garment by virtue of the cut portions 25, 25 on the opposite sides of the lower portions thereof. Due to the presence of two engagement members 34 upon each trigger block 33, it is obvious that two pairs of trousers may be accommodated "upon the hanger, one before and one behind the block'22. Although the members IT in Figure l'are described as yokes, these members could also be formed of a pair of opposite hooks 35, 35 screwed into the opposite ends I2, I2 of block I with their outer ends benttoward each'other' to form retaining hooks 38, 3B engaging in slots I9, I9 and holding the upper neck portions I8, I8 of main hanger members I6, I6 in place against the center block I, as especially shown in Figure 3.

Upon occasion, it may be desired to hang up more than two pair of trousers, while using the.

same hanger 5, and for this purpose the lower nucleus block 22 is provided uponits forward and rear surfaces 31, 31 with a pair of right-anglehooks-38,38 which are screwed into the block 22 so that the hook portions project a small distance from the surfaces 31 to form supports for an auxiliary trouser or skirt hanger, as will now .be explained.

A further nucleus block 42 has a rod 43 extending longitudinally therethrough and at the ends of this rod. are mounted a pair of further slidable trigger blocks 44, 44 provided with depending trouser-engaging members 45, 45 adapted to engage in the trousers or suit skirts within the edges thereof, as in the case of the previously explained use of trouser-engaging members 34, 34, the center block 42 having the lower front and rear cut-out portions 46, 46 to clear the garments on both sides of this block. Upon the rod 43, ateach side of block 42, are mounteda pair of expansion springs 41, 4'! terminating at the outer ends in heads 48, 48 with washers 49, 49 limiting the outward movement of blocks 44 and preventing accidental loss thereof from the rod, the springs engaging against the inner ends of the mentioned blocks in order to biasthem apart,

as in the case of springs 29, 29 operating against the trigger blocks 33, 33 previously described.

Projecting from the front and rear sides 50, 50 of the center block 42 are a pair of outwardly and downwardly directed attachment hooks 5|, 5| adapted to engage within the hooks 38 on block 22 of the hanger, as particularly noted in Figure 3, wherein it may be seen that the block 42 is thereby attached directly in front of or could be attached directly rearwardly of block 22 of the hanger by the mentioned interengagement 0f the hooks 5| with the hooks 38 thereof. The

mentioned block 42 is instantly detachable from block 22 by merely lifting the hooks 5| thereof from engagement with the hooks 38 and this block with its two trigger blocks 44 is instantly free and independent until again hung up on the block 22 in the manner described. It is selfevident that a pair of auxiliary trouser hangers, similar to that shown in Figures 4 and 5 and in broken lines in Figure 3, may be used both fore and aft of the nucleus block 22 so that six pairs of trousers may be hung up if desired.

In order to collapse the hanger of Figures 1 and 2, which is also shown in section in Figure 3, the first step is to pull the outer ends 3|, 3| oi the main hanger members It apart inorder to release the outer ends of rods .23, 28 from sockets 35 so that the upper endsof the neck portions l3, l8, which are rounded for this purpose, will ride against the' sides I2. l2 of'the center or nucleus block I while withdrawing'the studs 13, I3 from recesses I4, I4, the outeren'ds of the hanger members meanwhile describing upwardly and outwardly sweeping arcs until the neck portions i8, 68 are free from the yokes H, H. Thereafter the hook-shank 8 may be unscrewed from connector II and thehanger has been reduced-to the elongated rod portions 28, 2-8 conneoted-to block 22 with the trigger blocks 33, 33 thereon and the rod 2| with its head 23 and the connector II thereon together forming one unit, theblock I with the yokes I1, I! forminga' second unit, with the hook 9 while the main hanger members 18, I6 alone form two additional units, all these units being readily laid together in a compact space or scattered through the contentsof a "traveling bag or suitcase in amanner which would never be possible with a complete hanger.

It has been mentioned that the yolzes |I may be divided into separate-hooks 35, 35 with the hook members SS, 36. In likemannenthe hooks 38, 33 could be united to form yoke members projecting into block- ZZ-andthe same could well be true of the hooks-5|, 5| of block 42.

The blocks "I, '22 and -"42 may be of wood, plastic or any suitable materiaLand particularly if of plastic the studs l3, yokes I'I'or shanks35 of the hook members-35 in the case of block- 1 or the hooks 88 or the yokes substituted therefor in block 22, as well as hooks 5| or theyokes substituting thereforin block 42, may-all be embedded in the blork by molding the same in place, if so desiredand the trigger-blocks 33=and 44 with their pendant trouseror sln'rt engaging members 34 or 45 may be made .of wood or plastic and entirely integral ifso desired, while the main hanger members IE, It may also be of wood, plastic or any other material thatwill serve the purpose, and in fact all the mentioned members may also be of aluminum or a light;

alloy instead of wood or plastic,'while' the rods 28, 43 and short rods 2| and shank 8' with its.

hook 9, as well as all the mentioned hooks and yokes may be made of stainless steel, aluminum or any alloy that will serve the purpose and therefore are not limited to any particular material with regard to any of the mentioned parts and I am free to use any natural composition or substance that will serve the purpose best in my own estimation.

Manifestly, variations may be resorted to and parts and features may be modified or used without others within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim: I

1. A collapsible combined suit and trouser hanger including a pair of main hanger members normally projecting outwardly and downwardly in opposite directions and terminating in downwardly directed ends, a common connecting means detachably interconnecting the inner adjacent ends of the hanger members, said last named means including a center block having a pair of studs projecting outwardly in opposite directions and extending detachably into corresponding recesses in the inner adjacent ends of the hanger members, a suspension hook projecting upwardly from said center block, elongated rod means extending at both outer ends detachably into receiving sockets in the inner sides of said downwardly directed ends of the hanger members, a pair of slidable trouser-engaging members mounted on the rod means, further means connecting the intermediate portion of the latter with the common connecting means to retain said rod means assembled with said hanger members, and compression spring means mounted on said rod means between said slidable trouser-engaging means to bias them apart.

2. A collapsible combined suit and trouser hanger including a pair of main hanger members normally projecting outwardly and downwardly in opposite directions and terminating in downwardly directed ends, a center block having a pair of studs projecting outwardly in opposite directions extending detachably into corresponding recesses in the inner adjacent ends of the hanger members, a suspension hook projecting upwardly from the center block, a pair of yokes projecting rigidly outwardly from the latter above the studs and at their outer portions engaging in upwardly open slots in the upper portions of said hanger members, a second center block disposed beneath and connected to the first-mentioned center block, a pair of aligned rods extending rigidly in opposite directions from the second center block beneath the hanger members with the outer ends thereof extending detachably into a pair of receiving sockets in the inner sides of said downwardly directed ends of said hanger members, a trigger block slidably mounted on each and having at least one depending trouser-engaging member fixed thereon, and a compression spring mounted on each rod between the trigger block thereon and said second center block.

3. A collapsible combined suit and trouser hanger including a pair of main hanger members normally projecting outwardly and downwardly in opposite directions and terminating in downwardly directed ends, the hanger members having transverse upwardly open slots spaced from the inner ends thereof forming neck portions thereon, a center block having a pair of studs projecting outwardly in opposite directions extending detachably into corresponding recesses in the inner adjacent ends of the hanger members, a pair of retaining hooks projecting rigidly outwardly from each of the two opposite ends of the center block above said studs and extending upon opposite sides of the neck portions with the hook portions engaging in said upwardly open slots, the upper inner ends of said neck portions being rounded to facilitate disengagement of said hang er members from said studs and retaining hooks, a second center block disposed beneath the firstmentioned center block and having the lower forward and rear portions cut back arcuately to pro-,- vide clearance portions thereon, a pair of aligned rods extending rigidly in opposite directions from the second center block beneath the hanger members with the outer ends thereof extending detachably into a pair of receiving sockets in the inner sides of said downwardly directed ends of said hanger members, a trigger block slidably mounted on each rod having a pair of depending trouser-engaging members spaced apart thereon, a suspension hook projecting above the top of the first-mentioned center block and having a shank extending down through the latter, a rod having a head at the lower end thereof and extending upwardly through the second center block, and'a detachable connector interconnecting the lower end of said shank and the upper end of the upwardly extending rod.

4. A collapsible combined suit and trouser hanger including a pair of main hanger members normally projecting outwardly and downwardly in opposite directions and terminating in downwardly directed ends, the hanger members having transverse upwardly open slots spaced from the inner ends thereof forming neck portions thereon, a center block having a pair of studs projecting outwardly in opposite directions extending detachably into corresponding recesses in the inner adjacent ends of the hanger members, a pair of retaining hooks projecting rigidly outwardly from each of the two opposite ends of the center block above said studs and extending upon opposite sides of the neck portions with the hook portion engaging in said upwardly open slots, the upper inner ends of said neck portions being rounded to facilitate disengagement of said hanger members from said studs and retaining hooks, a second center block disposed beneath the firstmentioned center block and having the lower forward and rear portions cut back arcuately to provide clearance portions thereon, a pair of aligned rods extending rigidly in opposite directions from the second center block beneath the hanger members with the outer ends thereof extending detachably into a pair of receiving sockets in the inner sides of said downwardly directed ends of said hanger members, a trigger block slidably mounted on each rod having a pair of depending trouser-engaging members spaced apart thereon, a suspension hook projecting above the top of the first-mentioned center block and having a shank extending down through the latter, a rod having a head at the lower end thereof and extending upwardly through the second center block, a connector interconnecting the lower end of said shank and the upper end of the upwardly extending rod, a pair of hook members projecting from each of the forward and rear sides of said second center block above the cut back clearance portions thereof with the hooked ends directed horizontally toward each other, and an auxiliary trouser hanger adapted to be attached to the latter hooks on the forward or rear sides of said second center block, including a further center block having a pair of attachment hooks rigid upon each of the forward and rear sides thereof terminating downwardly directed hook portions adapted"to interengage: with the hook on said second center bloeka rod extending through the-ends of the-further center block having terminal'hea-dsupon-the endsthereof; a pair of'trigger blocksislidably mounted on the last-mentioned rods within the-heads-thereof and having a pair of pendant trouser-engaging members fixed upon each, and a pair of'compression spr-ingsmounted on the latter rod betW-eensaid last-mentioned triggerblocks and said further center block.

v; A combined suit and trouser hanger-including a pair of main hanger members connected tog ether with a suspension hook projecting upwardly from between them, elongated rod means interconnecting the inner-portions of the lower outer endsof the-hanger members, a center block mounted intermediately: upon said rod means having hook members projecting from each'of the front and rear sides thereof, a slidably adjustable means on saidmodmember forengaging with and supporting at; least one pair-of trousers, and an auxiliary trouserhanger-adapted to be attached to the latter hookslon the forward or rear side of'saidwfirst-mentioned center block, including a fur-thencenten block: having a pair of attachment hooks,- rigid upon each of theforward and rear sides thereof: and terminating in downwardlydlreeted hook portions adapted to-interengage with the hooks onsaid-first-mentioned center block, a rod extending through the ends of the further center block having terminal heads upon the ends thereof, a pair ofytrigger blocks slidably mounted onthe last-mentioned rod within the heads thereof and having pendant trouser-engaging members fixed upon each, and a pair of compression springs mounted on the latter rod between said last-mentioned trigger hook blocks and" said further centenblock;

MA'I'HIAS W. BOYD;

REFERENCES CITED The. following references arevof record inthe file of this, patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,105,019 Bluhm' a- July 28, 1914 1,423;446 Edgar Oct. 17,1922 24203385 Kjeldsen May 20; 1947 

